Chapter 18 SO HARD

Chapter 18 SO HARD
The plates lay pushed aside, candles still flickering low, their flames bending to the hush that wrapped around the room. 

The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, just thick woven with everything Ruby wasn’t ready to name and everything Leslie didn’t bother hiding.

Ruby’s laugh cut through it, soft and breathy, spilling from her lips as if she couldn’t bear how heavy his gaze had become. She turned her head away quickly, cheeks warming, and reached for her wine glass.

“So, it's a deal then?” she murmured under her breath, tipping it back. “No sex at school, dates once a month, and cuddling.”

The glass was filled high, too high, but she downed it anyway. 

A small red liquid slid down her throat, and Leslie watched the tilt of her neck, the delicate bob of her swallow, the way her lips parted around the rim of the glass before pulling away. His eyes darkened with each movement, his chest tightening as if this was meant only for him.

Ruby set the glass down with her fingers lingering at the stem. Then her hazed eyes found him across the table and she almost froze.

“What?” she whispered with her husky voice.

Leslie leaned back in his chair with a lazy shrug rolling off his broad shoulders. His lips barely curved but his eyes gave him away. So dark and greedy.

“Nothing,” he said, his tone dangerously low and calm. “You’re beautiful.”

Her cheeks flamed instantly as the words hit harder than they should have. “I am?” she asked, her voice softer than she intended, betraying her.

Leslie’s mouth lifted into something between a smile and a smirk, though his gaze was anything but gentle. "More than you can imagine."

His eyes trailed over her with deep hunger, starting at the curve of her jaw. The slope of her throat where her pulse leapt and down to the neckline of her blouse, pausing as though memorising the rise and fall of her chest with every nervous breath. 

Then his eyes climbed back up, slow and unrelenting, locking with hers once more.

Ruby swallowed hard. Her fingers curled around the stem of her glass again, though she didn’t lift it this time. 

She couldn’t with the weight of his stare pinning her to the seat. Her lips parted, and she let out a shaky exhale.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked, her gaze darting downward before she forced it back up to meet him.

Leslie’s smile deepened as though she’d given him exactly the opening he wanted.

“Leslie?” Ruby’s voice wavered, her pulse drumming in her throat. She didn’t even know why she said his name, maybe to break the silence or maybe to anchor herself in the heat of his stare.

His response was simple. “Kiss me.”

Ruby blinked. “What?” The word slipped out on a gasp, half protest and half disbelief. The command clung to her skin, startling her but at the same time. 

It sparked something deep in her chest, an ache or a pull she couldn’t ignore.

Leslie didn’t repeat himself. His gaze lingered on her, molten as if daring her to refuse. The air between them grew thick and hot. Ruby’s breath came shallow, her body already betraying her mind.

She swallowed hard. Then, before she could think better of it, she rose from her chair. Her legs carried her forward until she stood before him. Her hands trembled faintly as she moved, but her resolve only hardened under the weight of his eyes.

Without another word, she slipped onto his lap, her knees bracketing his hips. The motion stole her breath. His body was solid beneath her even his heat radiating through his shirt, made her shiver. She leaned down, her lips crashing onto his in a hungry kiss.

Leslie reacted instantly, like he’d been waiting for this all night. His hands shot up  to her throat, wrapping around it firmly. 

The sudden choke dragged a muffled moan out of her mouth as her kiss faltered for a second and then deepened.

He devoured her, tongue tangling with hers, rough. His control pulsed through every movement, every squeeze of his hand at her neck and every growl that vibrated against her lips. 

Ruby clung to him, melting into the kiss. Her fingers gripping his shoulders as if to anchor herself against the storm he unleashed inside her.

The wine still burned faintly on her tongue, but it was nothing compared to the taste of his dark madness.

Then, swiftly, he lifted her off his lap. Ruby gasped against his mouth, clutching at his shoulders as her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.

Her pulse thundered as he carried her through the dimly lit penthouse until the door to his bedroom swung open. The air inside was cooler and darker yet it felt suffocating.

He dropped her onto the bed firm enough to make her body bounce slightly against the sheets. Ruby exhaled hard, her chest heaving, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.

Leslie didn’t waste time. He reached for the hem of his red tank top, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. 

His chest and shoulders flexed with the movement, the shadows of the room carving his muscles into lines.

Climbing over her, his weight pressed into the mattress, his face hovering close, his eyes burning into her. The hunger there wasn’t just desire. It was possession.

“I wanna fuck you,” he said with his voice low. His gaze didn’t waver. “Hard.”

Ruby’s lips parted. She swallowed, her body betraying her with a soft and helpless moan that slipped free.

Then she felt his hands sliding slowly up her legs, fingertips grazing her skin until he reached her thighs, gripping firmly as if to anchor her open.

“So hard,” Leslie growled, leaning down, his breath pouring over her cheek, her neck, the shell of her ear. “Until you scream who you belong to.”

Ruby’s body arched, her head tipping back against the pillow. Her chest rose and fell rapidly and her breath caught somewhere between fear, anticipation, and unholy desire.

“Leslie…” she exhaled, her voice breaking on his name.

His lips ghosted over her jaw as he whispered. “I wanna pound that pussy so hard you won’t be able to walk properly.”

Her body shuddered at his words dragging every nerve alive. His heat seared her neck as he moved lower. His lips brushing, his tongue teasing and voice rumbling right into her ear.

Ruby whimpered, her eyes going wide and doe-like as her back arched. Her thighs trembled under his grip. Breathless, wrecked already as she whispered, “Oh god. Please…”

Her lashes fluttered, tears of overwhelming desire almost spilling as she looked up at him, pleading. 

“Fuck me.” She pouted. "Please?”